


I'm No Longer Human

by PurrtlePuff



Series: The Supernatural Adventures of Jacksepticeye [7]
Category: Youtuber RPF
Genre: Gen, and he might be going crazy, and he's a bit different than he is in canon because i had plans for him before last halloween, and so is cry, and very minor accidental non-con, anyway antisepticeye shows up in this chapter, but it's a good thing his friends are really supportive of him, i don't know does kissing someone else when you don't know who it really is count as non-con?, i literally wrote this in a week i'm so proud of myself, in which jack finds out he's a bit less human than he thinks, lots of possession talk in this, minor septiishu because yay, oh and mark finds out how to possess his body so there's that, wade's in this for like a few seconds as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 21:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10953054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurrtlePuff/pseuds/PurrtlePuff
Summary: Jack is still hearing a strange voice in his head, months after the incident with the supernatural investigators. After Mark accidentally takes over for a while, this thing starts becoming stronger. And it's pissed.Jack's about to find out what he is. And the results are going to change his life forever.





	I'm No Longer Human

**Author's Note:**

> Not going to lie, I can't believe I wrote this whole chapter in a week. I'd like to personally thank AP, who I could vent my excitement to when I was writing this. It kind of motivated me to get it done faster.
> 
> Warning: this is part of a series, so you're going to be confused if you don't know what's going on. Just warning you now.
> 
> Also, my version of Antisepticeye is a bit different from the canon, because I had this story thought up way before Jack started the whole Anti business. It's my take on Antisepticeye. You may or may not get the characterization you want from him in this.

“You lied to him.”

Felix looked up from his book. Mark hovered above the floor, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

Felix’s jaw dropped. “Mark? I thought you moved on.”

“I decided to stay a little longer.”

“Mark,” Felix closed his book. “You don't get a chance to move on after this.”

“Don't change the subject.” Mark drifted down closer. “You told Jack back when you bought the house that you didn't know I lived here. When I remembered how I died, William said he was looking for a vampire named Felix. Now, what are the odds that I knew two vampires named Felix?”

Felix swallowed hard. “Look, I was hoping you being killed the night I dropped your textbook off wasn't because someone followed me, but-”

“How long did you really know where I lived?”

“Okay, so I was at your house one other night to study for a test, but I swear that's all.” Felix held his hands up. “I swear!”

Mark narrowed his eyes and stared into Felix’s. The vampire stared back.

“I’m going to trust you for now. I still don’t feel like you’re being honest, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt,” Mark said as he drifted through the floor, still keeping eye contact with Felix. Felix watched Mark disappear through the boards and ran a hand through his hair. He pulled out his phone and opened his camera.

Thank god Marzia found a way for him to have a reflection with makeup. He hated the stuff, but if it kept humans from telling he was a vampire, he’d take it.

He searched through his gallery, which opened to a picture of him and Marzia in the coffee shop. Cry leaned in between them, holding up bunny ears to Felix he just noticed, and Marzia sipped on some sort of latte she got. They all looked the same and Felix couldn’t be bothered to learn the names.

He scrolled down further and saw the one he wanted. Felix tapped on the picture. His college biology class came into view. He leaned over toward Mark, who had a less than pleased expression as Felix made a kissy face at him. Felix remembered Mark shoving him back into his own space while laughing. The memory brought a smile to his face.  
He scrolled right. The next picture was in this living room, in this very spot. The two of them were playing some sort of board game on the floor. He remembered Wade staying over at the library to study, so Mark asked if he wanted to come over and review some biology stuff. Not because Felix was failing or anything… okay maybe a little.

Again, he swiped right. He was in the bar, the one he took Jack out to a few days ago, with Mark. He remembered the two of them having a conversation about the new Halo game and whether it was worth playing or not. That was the night Mark had a heart attack. Who knew the guy could literally not hold his alcohol?

Felix was about to scroll again when he noticed something in the background. Well, someone. A man in a baseball cap and brown leather jacket was staring straight at them. Felix knew those eyes anywhere. He hissed and squeezed his phone until he heard the plastic creak under his grip.

That was a week before Mark died.

Felix pinched the bridge of his nose. How long was he following him? He looked over to the window, noticing the street lamp across the street was flickering, and grit his teeth. He swore he saw a shadow move, but it could’ve been the trick of the light.

He had to know Felix was here. He had to still be hunting them. And Felix refused to let anyone else get hurt because of him.

William wasn’t going to get away with this.

Jack opened his eyes as the familiar smell of pancakes invaded his space. He sat up and stretched. The sun shone through his blinds and warmed his skin. Jack grabbed his phone and swung his legs out of bed.

The floor was unusually cold today.

Jack started descending the stairs and heard Ken’s voice in the kitchen. He was talking to Mark, something about moving on and demons and such.

Jack’s foot caught on something. He cried out as he tumbled down the remaining three steps and landed on his back. The world silenced as it spun, and Jack’s head began to hurt.

“Jack?” Ken’s face came into view. “You alright, buddy?”

“Yeah.” Jack grabbed Ken’s hand as he helped Jack to his feet. “That wasn’t funny, Mark.”

“What did I do?” Mark asked as he stood in the kitchen doorway. Jack opened his mouth to answer. He heard someone laughing. Jack closed his mouth and looked around.

“Did you guys hear that?”

Ken furrowed his eyebrows. “Hear what?”

Jack looked over at Mark for some sort of confirmation, but Mark had the same confused expression as Ken.

“Nothing,” Jack said as he walked into the kitchen. “My stomach’s playing tricks on my mind.”

“You sure you didn’t hit your head too hard?” Ken asked, following him in.

Jack chose to ignore him and sat down in his seat. “Where’s my fluffer pancakes? I’m starving.”

Mark drifted over to the cupboard and grabbed the maple syrup. He put it in the middle of the table and went back to grab the pancakes. Ken followed him over to the counter.

“We’re not done talking about this,” he whispered to Mark.

Mark made a face before bringing the plate filled with pancakes to the table. Jack watched Mark move, noting how more fluid he walked, how his skin looked more tan than pale, and how his eyes were the same brown he saw when Mark entered his mind.

Wow, that would sound weird to someone who didn’t know the story.

“Well, hopefully, I made enough pancakes to satisfy your beast of an appetite,” Mark joked and walked back over toward the stove. Ken sat across from Jack and cut into his own pancakes.

Jack glanced up at the clock. Ken would be leaving for work in about a half hour, and he still had an hour to get to the coffee shop and meet up with Signe.

“So, I heard the full moon is right before Halloween this year,” Jack spoke.

Ken groaned. “That moon is always the worst.”

“Well, that’s when the spiritual veil is weakest, so your werewolf would be super strong.” He took a bite of his pancakes. “Trust me. I’m Irish.”

Mark laughed. “Is that like a Kindergarten class they teach you?”

“God, I wish.” Jack swallowed another bite of pancake.

Ken looked up at the clock. “Huh, Felix isn’t back yet. I wonder what he’s doing.”

“Probably slept over at Marzia’s house.” Jack cut deeper into his breakfast. “You know how he gets around Halloween.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m not the only one with problems,” Ken noted. “But on the bright side, I should be able to move back in with Mary at the end of the year.” Jack looked up from his breakfast. He caught Ken’s face, who recoiled as he saw Jack’s expression. “What, you knew this wasn’t going to last forever.”

“I know, but now that it’s here...”

“We’re still going to hang out and stuff. I’m not going to abandon you just because I can move in with Mary and Layla.”

But it’s not going to be the same, Jack wanted to say. This was Ken’s house to him. This is where he belonged.

No, he couldn’t keep two supernatural creatures here against their will. That’d play heavy damage on his psyche after a while.

“I know,” he replied. “I’m just being silly.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “Hey, at least you two can hang out outside of the house.”

“Well, maybe since you’re whole now, you can leave the house,” Jack said as he looked over at Ken.

“Hey, I’m no ghost expert,” Ken stood up and put his empty dish in the sink. “You’re going to have to research that one by yourself. Maybe Signe would know.”

“I know, but I always feel so weird asking her about this stuff.”

“Jack, she’s your girlfriend. She’s in love with you with or without the supernatural talk.” Ken ruffled Jack’s hair before grabbing his lunch from the fridge. “Remember we have a meeting at work, today. Bring extra coffee.”

“Will do.” Jack sent a smile Ken’s way. Ken echoed it and walked out of the kitchen.

Jack turned back to Mark, who had a much better grip on washing dishes.

“You feel any different?” Jack asked him.

Mark shrugged. “In a way. I don’t feel like I want to leave the house anymore. Do I look different?”

“It’s like getting a colored television after watching black and white your whole life.”

Mark snickered and set the dish in the strainer. Jack finished the last bit of pancake off his plate and scraped all the syrup onto his fork. He licked it off as he walked over to the sink and looked up at the clock. He still had plenty of time to get to the coffee shop and have a cup with Signe.

“I’m going upstairs to get dressed and head out. Maybe Felix will be back soon to-”

Mark turned to grab Jack’s plate, and they came face to face with each other. Jack’s body felt cold, then it started to tingle. The world faded to black.

“What the… fuck?” Mark looked around. “Jack?”

Holy shit, where did Jack go? He was just standing in front of him a moment ago. His eyes looked around more frantically. “Jack!”

Wow, his voice sounded funny.

Almost like…

Mark felt his heartbeat. Felt. His heartbeat. No, not his. He looked into the sink’s dishwater. Mark yelped and jumped backward. He stumbled and crashed into the back of the table.

Ow. That hurt. He was going to feel that later.

“Holy shit, Jack,” Mark said as he used the table to stand up. His legs wobbled underneath him. It’d been so long since…

“Jack, can you hear me?” Mark asked. Silence. “What the hell? How did I…?”

Mark looked back in the dishwater. Blue eyes stared back at him. Mark reached up and ran a hand through the green hair at the top of his head. They ran down the sides of his face. He could feel the friction of his fingerprints petting his skin.

“Did I… just hijack your body?” Mark would’ve found himself clever under any other circumstance. “Can you even hear me?”

Mark waited for some sort of response. Anything, really. He flexed his fingers, admiring how his muscles pulled to make the ligaments move. He looked up at the clock. Jack should be getting ready for work by now.

Oh man, how did he give Jack his body back? What if he couldn’t? How did he even get inside Jack’s body? He ran a hand through his hair and reached into Jack’s pocket.

Signe. Signe would know.

Mark pulled out Jack’s phone and unlocked it. He slid through the contacts before concluding “Douchers” was Signe’s new nickname and dialed the number. It was a good idea until he got her voicemail. Mark started to panic. He didn’t know where the coffee shop was to get to Signe.

Come to think of it, would he even get out the door?

Mark walked into the living room and looked out the window. The trees in the park shuffled in the breeze, and the sun cast morning shadows on the buildings across the street. Mark slowly made his way over to the door. His hand hovered above the handle, shaking a little. Mark’s fingertips slid over the door handle and grabbed on. He took in a deep breath.

Mark swung the door open. He closed his eyes as the sun bit into his pupils. He blinked once. Twice. Thrice and squinted. The sun warmed his skin, making his muscles relax and pores open.

Mark remembered talking to Jack, right here in this spot, where he wished he could feel the sun’s rays on his skin again. And here he was. The smell of fresh cut grass blew in the chilly autumn breeze. Birds chirped and danced above the street lights, and he could taste the morning dew in the air.

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He was alive again.

“Hey, Jack.”

Mark looked over his porch railing and saw Wade raking the leaves in his yard. Mark’s heart leaped.

“Hey, Wade,” he called back. He nearly fell down the stairs on his way outside. Mark started off with a walk, but it turned into a full sprint. He rounded the bushes separating their yards and ran full force into Wade. Mark wrapped his arms around him into the biggest hug he could manage. Wade’s beard scratched at the skin on his face.

“Hey, Jack,” Wade said as he hugged Mark and patted him on the back. “Miss me?”

“You have no idea,” Mark replied. Of course, Wade would only see Jack, but that wasn’t important to him right now. After all these years, he finally got to hug his best friend again.”

Wade laughed. “Well okay then.” He let go of Mark and went back to raking. “You heading off to the coffee shop?”

“Yeah,” Mark replied, wiping tears from his eyes. If Wade noticed, he didn’t say anything. “I should probably get going so I’m not late.”

“Hopefully you’re going to get dressed.”

Mark looked down at his little eyeball pajamas. “Oh, yeah. That’s a thing you do before work.”

Good thing this wouldn’t be the first time he saw Jack naked or this would be really awkward.

Mark returned back to the house, already missing the sunlight, and dug through Jack’s clothes. He usually wore a white button-down shirt and black slacks. Mark pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants from the drawer. The material slid across his skin and sent goosebumps throughout his body. Who thought he’d miss putting on clothes?

Mark took a deep breath and admired Jack’s reflection in the mirror. He had no idea what to do with Jack’s hair, so he settled on combing through and leaving it at that. Mark walked down the stairs and paused in the doorway. Hopefully, he could figure this all out before Felix got home. Mark locked the door behind him and slid the house key under a loose brick.

“Hey, that’s where Mark used to hide the key,” Wade noted as he trimmed the bushes.

Mark nearly jumped out of his skin. “Well, how about that. Great minds think alike.”

“Well, I’ll see you around.” Wade sent a small smile. Mark was practically beaming from ear to ear. He walked to the edge of the driveway.

“Hey, Wade, I’m having a brain fart. Which way is the coffee shop again?”

Wade looked up. “To your left and down the street.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.” Mark laughed. His laugh sounded weird with Jack’s voice box. “See you later.”

Mark continued down the street. He couldn’t believe it. He just had two conversations with Wade and hugged him. That’s something he never thought he’d be able to do again. A man walked down the street toward him. Mark’s shoulder collided with the man.

“Hey, buddy,” the man called back and straightened out his shirt. “Watch where you’re going.”

Mark stared back, his jaw open. Oh, wait, Jack couldn’t pass through people. He was solid.

Wait, Wade could see him, so other people could see him too.

Mark never said hello to so many people in his life. He greeted the mailman, a few kids walking down the street, even people who completely ignored him. He didn’t care. They could see him.

Mark’s eyes caught on a sign hanging from a doorway. It had what looked to be a snowman… marshmallow… thing… that had a cup of coffee in hand. The swirly white letters appeared from the coffee steam and read “Cry’s Coffee Shop.”

Mark opened the door and heard the little bell above him. The smell of coffee assaulted his nose then softened to the sweet smell of fresh baked donuts and pastries. Mark looked around. People chatted idly amongst each other all over the shop.

No Signe though.

Mark frowned. What would he do if she didn’t show up?

“Hey, Jack,” a deep voice, one that could rival Marks’ voice, called from behind the counter. A man stood behind it, his eyes covered in a white mask. He had his arms folded underneath him as he rested his elbows on the countertop.

Mark walked up to the counter. The man’s nametag read “Welcome to Cry’s Coffee Shop. I’m Cry,” and Mark wondered if that was his actual name. He looked over the coffee and their prices.

“The usual?” Cry asked.

“Yeah,” Mark said. He suddenly remembered he needed money. Mark shuffled through his pockets. “Shit, I forgot my wallet.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get it from you tomorrow. I know where you live.” Something about the way Cry said that unnerved Mark. He never met this man before. Cry went behind the counter and started his work. Mark looked around.

The shop was lined with a light brown wallpaper. On the far side was a bookshelf filled with all sorts of colorful books. There were two couches and several chairs for people to sit in and read.

“Jack, your order’s up.”

Several tables lined the windows with blown glass lights above them. He could see people walking on the outside, going about their daily life. The store title was written on the window in window marker, and below it was the drawing of one of those little marshmallow dudes inside the cup of coffee.

“Jack.”

What were those things anyway?

A finger poked his shoulder. Mark jumped and looked over. Cry was standing next to him, cup in hand.

“Your coffee.” He held out two lidded cups to Jack.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t know you were calling my name.” Mark took the cup and sent a smile.

That soulless mask unnerved Mark. He couldn’t even see Cry’s eyes through it. “You seem a little off today, Jack. Everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” Mark lied. “Just thinking about things.”

Cry paused for what seemed like an eternity. “Fine, I’ll take the excuse for now, but only because I don’t want to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend.”

Mark was about to respond with “I don’t have a girlfriend” when he heard Signe call Jack’s name behind him. Mark turned. Signe walked up and kissed him on the lips. Mark forgot he was supposed to kiss back.

“Sorry, did I surprise you?” Signe said with a sly smile.

“A bit,” Mark replied. “Go ahead and get your coffee. I have some stuff to talk to you about.”

“Everything okay?”

“It’s about J… Mark.”

Signe’s expression softened. “Oh, that’s right. Jack, I’m so sorry about what ha-”

“It’s fine.” Mark took in a deep breath. “Just go ahead and get your coffee. I’ll talk to you about it over at the table by the window.”

Signe nodded. “Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

Mark walked over to the table and felt like he just made Signe cheat on Jack. He tapped his fingers on the table as he looked out the window. His eyes glanced down at Jack’s two coffee cups, both steaming from the vents at the top. One had ‘Jack’ written on it, while the other had Ken’s name. Oh, right, Jack got coffee for Ken too.

Mark brought Jack’s coffee to his lips. The heat tingled against the delicate skin, and Mark tipped it a little further. Bitter black coffee hit his tongue. Mark sputtered a little and put the cup down. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and stared at the coffee. He could feel the hot coffee making its way down his throat and leaving a bitter aftertaste. The heat shocked his whole body awake. Mark felt like he could cry again. He forgot what taste was like.

Signe sat down with her coffee across the table from Mark. She smiled at him before taking a sip of her coffee. Mark humored her with a smile, but even he knew it looked fake.

“Jack, I know you’re probably still upset, but-”

“It’s Mark.”

“I know. It has to be hard.”

“No, I mean me.”

Signe furrowed her brows. “Jack, you’re-”

“I’m Mark.” He looked straight into Signe’s eyes. “I don’t know how I did it, but somehow this morning at breakfast, I took over Jack’s body. And now I don’t know how to give it back.”

“You what?” Signe realized she raised her voice and lowered it. “Mark, you possessed Jack?”

“By accident!” he said as he held up his hands in defense.

“I thought you moved on.”

“I decided to stay and haunt them for a little while longer.”

“Mark, you know how dangerous that is.”

“Yeah,” Mark rolled his eyes. “Ken lectured me about it too. Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn into a poltergeist or anything. I’m still me.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Signe sighed and shook her head. “Okay, so you don’t know how to get out, right?”

Mark nodded his head. “Can you help?”

“Unfortunately it’s way harder to get out than it is to get in.”

“You got that right.”

“Anyway,” Signe tucked a hair behind her ear. “What you need to do is connect with Jack and give him back his body.”

“And how do I do that?”

“I don’t know. I’m not a ghost whisperer.”

Mark sighed heavily. “Okay. The first time this sorta happened, Jack invited me in to talk to Wade.”

“That explains how you took him so easily.”

“Yeah. Well, anyway, we were in this dark room. I could see him, touch him, talk to him. This time, I just became him.”

Signe tapped her finger on the table. “Ever try meditating?”

“You mean like where I fold my legs and make that ‘ohm’ noise?”

“No.” Signe grabbed onto Mark’s hands and closed her eyes. “Close your eyes and feel. Feel the energy around you.”

Mark exhaled through his nose and did as she said. The coffee shop sounded louder now.

“Good, now imagine Jack in your mind. Imagine yourself talking to him. See him standing next to you.”

Mark squinted his eyes tighter. He heard someone laughing over to his right, along with someone cursing at some sort of book they were reading. Something about gangsters and mobs in the 1920s or something…

“It’s not working,” Mark grumbled.

“Concentrate,” Signe replied.

“I can’t with all this noise.”

Signe sighed and pulled Mark out of his seat. Her hand felt warm against his cold skin. Signe led him out of the shop and in front of the store window. Mark’s ears rung from lack of noise. Did Jack have tinnitus?

“Better?”

“A little.”

“Good, now concentrate.”

Mark closed his eyes again. He heard birds chirping as they flew overhead. The breeze ruffled his hair and tickled his skin. Mark squinted his eyes closed and tried harder. He had to imagine what Jack looked like, but where did he even start? Mark felt Signe’s fingers shift under his grip.

He imagined watching a movie while Jack and Signe were having a date. A bad date. Mark knew if he didn’t do something quickly, Jack was totally going to bone up his date. He searched through the television channels until he found a familiar Disney movie with a spaghetti scene, just like the one he prepared for Jack a few hours prior.

He heard the kitchen door open. Blue eyes, green hair, and a less than displeased face appeared in his mind. Mark imagined the scruff of his chin, his pale skin, and the pointed ears that accompanied him.

Mark couldn’t hear the birds anymore. In fact, he couldn’t feel Signe holding his hands either. He opened his eyes. Darkness surrounded him.

“Jack?” he called out. His voice echoed in the dark. “Jack, can you hear me?”

A laugh echoed around, one Mark didn’t recognize. Mark’s skin tingled, and he felt uneasy.

“Jack, is that you?” Mark backed up. Suddenly he didn’t feel alone anymore. A cold hand touched his shoulder. Mark swung around.

“Whoa, easy Mark,” Jack spoke.

Mark sighed heavily. “Holy shit, don’t spook me like that.”

“Me, spook you?” Jack laughed. “That’s a new one.”

“Jack,” Mark caught his breath, “I need to give you your body back.”

“Yeah, what was up with you autopiloting me? I’m not some car you can take out for a joyride.”

“Sorry. I don’t even know how I did it. It wasn’t until I opened my eyes that I realized.” Mark paused. “How do I even give it back?”

“I don’t know.” Jack rubbed his neck. “The last time this happened, Felix and Ken called me back.”

Mark groaned under his breath. The two stood in silence for a few more minutes. Or at least they did until Mark heard that creepy laugh again.

“Why do you keep doing that?”

“I’m not.” Jack blinked. “Wait, you heard it too?”

“Of course. I’m standing right next to you.” Mark felt goosebumps rise up on his skin. Wait a minute. Was… something else in here with them? Mark’s heart hammered in his chest. “Jack-”

Signe’s voice calling Jack echoed through the room. Mark and Jack both jumped at the same time.

“Where did you take my body?” Jack asked.

“Just to the coffee shop. I thought maybe Signe could help.”

Jack groaned. “What time is it? I better not be late for work.”

Mark scratched the side of his head. “I don’t remember, but-”

“Jack!”

Jack thought of Signe in his mind. He wanted to call out to her and let her know he was here. He closed his eyes and imagined himself outside of his body. He thought of himself looking at Signe’s face. He imagined himself standing in his own skin.

“Nothing’s working.” Jack moaned.

“Wait, I have an idea. I need you to push me.”

“Why?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Just do it.”

Jack reached over and shoved Mark’s shoulder.

“No, not like that. Give me a good push, like you’re pushing me out of your body.”

Jack caught on and shoved Mark a little harder. He watched Mark stagger backward but right himself.

“Harder. Come on, I know you’ve been waiting for this-”

Jack slammed his hands into Mark’s shoulders. Mark’s spirit flickered like when a candle flame being blown out. Jack mustered all the strength he could. He squeezed his eyes shut and threw his whole weight into pushing Mark again. A bright light cradled both of them, and Jack’s body warmed.

“Jack, are you… you yet?”

Jack blinked his eyes opened. Signe’s concerned face stared back at him. He laughed, making Signe jump, kissed the side of her cheek and brought her in for a hug. Signe cried out in surprise but soon hugged Jack back.

“God, I never want to do that again,” Jack spoke into Signe’s ear.

“Me either,” a deep voice added. Jack opened his eyes and saw Mark panting behind Signe. His eyes widened.

“Mark, you’re outside the house, and you didn’t disappear yet.”

Mark looked back at Jack, his mind suddenly catching up. He looked around and hummed. Signe let go of Jack and turned around. Her eyebrows furrowed before she turned back to Jack.

“Mark’s still here?” she asked.

Jack looked from Signe to Mark and back at Signe again. Of course she wouldn’t see Mark. Jack nodded and straightened out his shirt.

Mark hummed. “I guess when I became whole again, I could leave the house.”

Oh great. Another supernatural creature he had to babysit. Jack sighed and looked at his phone’s clock.

“Shit, I’m late!” He ran back inside the coffee shop and grabbed his and Ken’s coffee. He then exited and kissed Signe on the cheek, promising to see her again tomorrow.

Jack ran toward the office. He slammed his shoulder into the door and got in the elevator to his floor. Jack’s heart hammered in his chest as he stood in the elevator. The numbers to his office lit up and dinged as the elevator slid to a stop. Jack left the tiny room and walked into the office.

He stopped in Ken’s cubicle and watched Ken type on his keyboard. After a few seconds, Ken stopped and turned his chair to look at Jack.

“Well, it’s about time,” Ken laughed as he grabbed his coffee. He looked behind Jack, and his face froze in shock.

Jack’s eyebrows rose. “You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“I did,” Ken said and motioned for Jack to turn around. Jack slowly looked over his shoulder. Mark was examining the office behind them.

“Mark!” Jack shouted. The whole office deafened, save for the ringing telephones and typing on keyboards. The shout caught Mark’s attention as well, and he turned to look at them.

“So, this is where you work,” Mark spoke. “It’s kind of boring.”

“How did he get here?” Ken whispered.

“He must’ve followed me from the coffee shop,” Jack said and wiped the sides of his face with his hands. “Mark, you need to go home.”

“Why?” Mark asked. “I haven’t been outside in years. Besides, no one can see me, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Ken sighed. “Not if you don’t behave yourself. Go home, Mark.”

Mark put on his best puppy dog pout and looked back at them. “But I spend so much time in that house. I just want to get out and stretch my legs a bit. Just for today. Pleeeease?”

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, fine. But you stay by my side and you don’t leave. Got it?”

Mark’s face lit up. “Okay, deal.”

“You sure about this?” Ken asked from behind him.

“No,” Jack sighed, “but he’s not going to leave. He’s too stubborn.”

“Damn right.”

Jack turned and walked over into his cubicle. Mark walked in and examined the walls. Pictures of Signe and Jack were pinned to the wall. The picture Felix tried to take with all four of them was right above Jack’s computer. Mark grimaced when he remembered he didn’t show up in the picture. He wondered how Felix was able to get his image on a camera.

Below those pictures in a picture frame was a mother and father he guessed, with five children that looked to be in their teens. Well, all except for one, who had this devilish glint in his eyes. Mark noted how this boy was the only one with that red eye the camera sometimes gave. His hands drifted over the glass of the picture.

“Wait, is this your family?” He asked, picking the picture up.

Jack grabbed it from Mark’s hands before anyone realized his stuff was floating. “Yes, it’s my whole family.”

“That’s the one from the nightstand. The one I broke when you first moved into the house.”

“Well, I didn’t want you to break it on me again.”

Mark felt bad for a moment, but the feeling disappeared. Jack turned back to his work and began to type on his keyboard. Mark drifted down on the office floor and looked around.

Maybe staying here wasn’t such a good idea after all. He was going to get bored real quick.

“Don’t you have any games I can play?”

Jack groaned. Today was going to be a long day.

“Jack,” a woman said as she stood in the doorway.

Mark’s head perked. “Hello baaaby.”

“What’s up, boss?” Jack asked, emphasizing the last word. Mark started to laugh, mentioning how she couldn’t hear him anyway.

“I need you and Ken for a staff meeting. Have a moment?”

“Of course.” Jack stood up in his chair and followed her out. Ken was behind him and kept turning around to watch Mark keep up with them.

“I thought you told him to stay in your cubicle?”

“I did,” Jack hissed back.

“No,” Mark noted, “you told me to not leave your side, remember? Well, I’m doing that.”

Jack wondered if he should start praying now or later that this meeting didn’t go wrong.

The two walked into a room with a long table. Several other co-workers sat around the table, all busy looking over their work. Jack and Ken took a seat next to each other at the end of the table.

“So, what do you do exactly?” Mark asked and looked over Jack’s shoulder. “Wow, that’s a bunch of numbers.”

Jack cleared his throat but said nothing. He sent a glance over in Mark’s direction but didn’t speak. Ken looked over at Jack, then Mark, then back at his work. He rubbed the side of his neck and sighed heavily.

“It’s going to be okay.”

“You stating a fact or trying to convince yourself?”

Mrs. Smith walked up to the head of the table and straightened out her papers. “Okay, now that everyone’s here, let’s begin.”

Jack kept his focus on her until a high pitched ringing hit his ear. Stupid tinnitus. He rubbed his ear a bit and tried to ignore it.

Jack chose to try and focus on Mark. He was walking around the office, looking at people’s papers and trying to decipher what was written on them. Or at least, that’s what Jack could tell.

Mrs. Smith’s words started to blend together. Jack tried harder to concentrate, but the fuzziness of her voice started to give him a headache. Jack rubbed his temples.

Ken looked over at Jack. He whispered, “Jack, you okay?”

Jack continued to rub his headache away. “I’ll be fine.”

“You sure? You’re looking a bit pale.”

“I’m always pale.”

“Gentlemen,” Mrs. Smith spoke. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” Ken said. “Sorry for the interruption-”

“Oh, Jack,” Mrs. Smith’s eyes widened. “Your nose.”

Jack creased his brow. What about his nose? Ken looked over, his face going from confused to shocked.

Jack heard something drop onto his papers. He looked down and saw a fresh drop of blood staining the white paper. His fingers reached up to touch the bottom of his nose and came back crimson.

“Oh, shit, I never get nosebleeds,” Jack noted. He backed his chair up. “May I be-”

“Go,” Mrs. Smith said, her voice strained. “Go take care of yourself. I’ll catch you up when you get back.”

“Thank you.”

Jack caught the blood with his hand as it dripped out. A few other coworkers gave him strange looks as he walked past, but his focus was only on the bathroom. Thankfully that ringing had stopped.

He opened the men’s room and thanked the plumber for installing automatic faucets. Jack scrubbed his hands clean and then worked on his nose. He held a paper towel up to catch the blood.

Mark’s hand pressed his shoulder. “You okay?”

“I think so,” Jack said and turned to look at Mark. “It’s just a nosebleed.”

The ringing noise returned. Jack’s headache multiplied tenfold. He bent over the sink and caught himself with his free hand. For a moment, his vision blurred.

Mark’s touch was on his back, and he heard Mark’s voice, but he couldn’t make out what he was saying. Jack’s whole body started to shiver. He glanced up at the mirror.

Glowing green irises surrounded by black eyes stared back at him. Mark’s touch left his back. Jack saw his reflection smirk and wave at him. ‘Hello Jack’ it mouthed.

Jack backed up away from the sink. His back slammed into the wall, and he slid down, gasping for breath. He pulled his knees up to his chest. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t close his eyes.

“Jack!” Mark cried out as he followed Jack to the floor. “Jack, what’s going on? What was that?”

Jack wanted to answer him. Moving his jaw was difficult. He looked back up and caught his reflection again in the mirror. One eye was still dark, but the darkness was fading back into his irises. The chill left his body, and all Jack could feel was his heart pounding in his chest.

Mark helped Jack stand. Jack's eyes stayed focused on the mirror. He rubbed a hand over his face and noted his nosebleed finally stopped.

“I… don't know,” he said answering Mark at last.

Suzy’s warning echoed in his head. Any supernatural activity could awake whatever darkness was inside of him, and Mark was definitely full of energy for whatever that was to feed off of. He began to feel rather sick.

“Jack?” Ken’s voice called from outside the bathroom. “You okay in there?”

“Yeah, just go back to the meeting,” Jack called. He washed whatever blood was left off of his mustache and dried his face with a paper towel.

Laughter echoed throughout the room.

Jack looked in the mirror, his eyes wide with fear, but only his reflection appeared.

“You are definitely not okay,” Mark spoke, loud enough for Ken to hear. “Something’s going on with you.”

“I thought so. Your spirit energy is really bright,” Ken said. “You looked like a freaking flashlight in there.”

Jack continued to stare in the mirror. He kept waiting for something to happen, anything, but nothing resurfaced.

“I said I’m fine,” Jack called back, a hint of anger in his voice. His chest burned, and every sound seemed to push his anger further. “Just leave me alone.”

Ken opened the men’s bathroom door and squinted. “Jack-”

“I said I’m fine!”

Jack’s head pounded, and he doubled over on the floor. His head began to pound again, harder than the first time. Jack touched his forehead to the tile, but even the cool burn couldn’t shake away the pain.

This time, he heard both Ken and Mark’s muffled voices calling his name, but they sounded distant like they were shouting from down the street. His vision faded in and out of darkness. His skin began to sweat and shiver at the same time. His muscles tensed at once.

Jack blinked.

Ken was on the ground, his lip bleeding. Mark had both hands pinning Jack’s to the bathroom wall, his eyes white.

Jack started to hyperventilate. He watched Mark’s eyes return to normal, along with a concerned expression.

“What the fuck just happened?” Jack whispered.

Ken stood up and wiped the blood off his lip with the back of his hand. “We’re taking you home. Now.”

“What?” Jack’s voice squeaked.

“It’s going to be okay, Jack,” Mark said.

“What happened!” Jack asked, a little more confidence in his voice. “Did I…”

That laugh again. Jack looked around, his eyes wide with panic. Who the fuck-

“I’ll go talk to our boss and tell her Jack isn’t feeling well. Mark, watch him.”

Mark turned and gave a nod to Ken. Ken glanced once last time at Jack before leaving the room.

“What did I do?”

Mark turned to Jack, his face lined with worry. “I don’t think you did anything.”

“The fuck I didn’t, Mark. Ken didn’t just end up on the ground with a bleeding lip by himself. Something’s wrong with me.”

“Okay, okay,” Mark’s voice stayed soothingly calm. “We’re going to figure this out, Jack. It’s going to be okay.”

“It won’t stop laughing,” Jack brought his hands up to his ears. The laughing still continued, louder. He felt dizzy, and Mark caught him by the shoulders.

Jack’s eyes widened. It had to be Mark. Mark’s energy was making this thing stronger.

“Get off,” Jack groaned. He wanted to push Mark away, but his hands went right through him. Jack’s heartbeat intensified tenfold.

“Jack-”

“I said GET OFF!”

Jack pushed forward again. His hands hit something solid. Mark left his side and fell backward. Jack slid down the wall to his knees; his hands helped support his body from collapsing to the floor. His eyes stayed focused on Mark.

He just pushed Mark.

He just pushed a ghost.

Jack brought his knees up to his chest. What was going on? He rested his forehead on his knees and tried to take in deep breaths. It felt like something was choking him.

“Jack,” Ken’s voice called again. He opened the door and took a look at the scene. He paused before walking over to Jack’s side. Ken’s arms pulled Jack up to his feet. He put one of Jack’s arms over his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Jack. I’m taking you home.”

He looked down at Mark, who stood and followed the both of them. Jack couldn’t find the energy to speak.

Mrs. Smith met them outside the door. “Is he okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?”

“He’ll be okay. He gets like this sometimes.”

“At least let me drive you two home.”

Ken looked over at Mark, who shook his head frantically.

“No, it’s okay,” Ken answered. “We only live a few blocks down the street. Some fresh air might do him some good.”

Mrs. Smith looked them over before nodding and stepping aside. “Let me know if you boys need anything else.”

“Will do,” Ken called back. He practically supported all of Jack’s weight at this point.

The autumn air hit Jack like a punch in the gut. He doubled over and started to shake. Ken caught Jack before his knees buckled under him. With one swift motion, Ken had Jack in his arms. He started running down the street, ignoring most of the crosswalk signs, and toward the house.

Mark followed beside them and kept his eyes on Jack.

“Ken, what’s going on?”

Ken kept his eyes forward. He didn’t know much about Sensitives other than stories. He knew they glowed and had a special power, but… “I have no idea.”

“Is he really going to be okay?”

“I… don’t know.”

Jack’s head still hurt. He wanted to open his eyes, but he didn’t have the strength. His stomach burned, and his throat still felt tight.

“-just collapsed.”

Ken. That was Ken’s voice. His lips parted to speak, but no sound came out.

A cold hand touched his forehead. He wanted to lean in and touch it. Hold it. Help ease his headache.

“Jack, what got into you?” Felix’s voice, calmer than he ever heard. Tired almost. The hand left his forehead, and Jack wanted to follow it.

“When I took over Jack’s body, I heard this laughter.” That was Mark. Oh god, he had to apologize to Mark. “He didn’t know what it was, but I never saw whatever laughed.”

“Didn’t he say someone was laughing this morning at breakfast?” Ken thought. “Wait a minute. Back when those investigators took him, when I met him in the hospital, he told me he heard someone talking-”

“You mean, Jack’s been hearing voices and you two didn’t tell me?” Felix’s voice rose a bit.

Ken sighed. “That was months ago. He didn’t say anything else after that. I thought maybe it left him alone.”

“I knew it. Those fucking investigators did something to him. I’m going to drain them,” Felix growled.

“Easy-”

“Easy? Jack’s got some sort of demon in him, and you want me to be easy? What kind of friend are you? I would’ve never left him alone if I knew something was wrong with him.”

“Well, if you would be home more often instead of out club hopping, maybe you could’ve been here to see it for yourself.”

Felix hissed. Jack heard fast shoveling, and Ken cried out. It sounded like he slammed into the wall.

“Hey,” Mark barked, his voice drifting away, “now’s not the time to fight. For once, Jack needs us, and we can’t help him if you two are fighting.”

Felix let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry. I haven’t slept since yesterday.”

There was a bit of a pause before Ken said, “It’s no big deal. Let’s just focus on what’s going on with Jack.”

“You know,” Mark said, his voice drifting closer, “I could try to possess him again. Maybe I can find whatever that thing was.”

“Mark, do you know how dangerous that is?” Felix asked. “That thing could end up corrupting your soul, and you could turn into a demon. I can’t lose two of you.”

“Aww, Felix, I didn’t know you cared.”

“Shut up, okay? I’m half awake.”

“Sure,” Ken said, “Look, Mark, for all we know, when we invited you into Jack’s body, something could’ve followed you in. I mean, we could’ve missed a malevolent spirit in the house. We don’t know who that medium was, but she did pull Jack out of the room for a brief period of time. She could've done something to him.”

Felix swore at the thought.

“What would she gain by doing that though?” Mark asked. “She was here to help Wade, not mess up Jack.”

“He’s a Sensitive, Mark. They’re a target just by being born.”

Jack heard someone knocking. It sounded like someone was knocking on the wall.

“Did someone just knock on the door?” Felix asked.

They heard it too?

Ken hummed. “I’ll get it. You two stay here and watch him.”

Jack’s room grew silent. He wanted to reach out into the darkness and hold them there. He wanted to know that everything was going to be okay.

Ken’s voice spoke downstairs, but Jack couldn’t make out the words. There was another voice with him. Jack heard Felix’s footsteps leave the room as he spoke in Swedish. Jack’s heart pounded in his chest.

No, don’t leave me alone. Don’t leave me with this thing.

A cold hand touched his forehead again. Jack felt his body relax.

“Don’t worry, Jack. We’re going to help you.” Mark paused. “And if I have to come in there to personally drag you back to us, I will.”

Jack could’ve laughed. He wanted to. He couldn’t even find the strength to smile.

Mark’s icy touch was on his chest now. He heard Signe’s voice as she came up the stairs.

“He’ll be okay. If it is a demon or something, I know how to get Jack back.”

Oh, thank god.

Jack heard that laugh reverberate in his head. “Do they really think this is going to work? Do they really think they can get rid of me?” The voice sounded distorted, high pitched. Jack’s heart raced. “They can’t take me from you, Jack. I’m a part of you. I am you. He’s not going to take you from me again.”

“Jack,” Mark’s voice called from beside him. His hand rested on Jack’s chest. “Jack!”

Jack’s hearing became muffled again. No, not again. Please, not again. He found some strength and gripped onto the bed sheets below him. The pounding got faster, closer. His body began to feel cold all over, and then there was nothing.

Jack was back in that darkness again.

“What the fuck happened?” Felix asked as he raced into the room.

Mark had his hands on Jack’s chest, staring down at him. “I don’t know. He just started to panic.”

Signe pushed past Ken and Felix. She put her hand on Jack’s sweating forehead. “How long has this been going on?”

“Today was the first day any of us noticed anything,” Ken answered.

Signe sighed. “Before or after Mark possessed him.”

“Like I’d ever do anything to hurt Jack on purpose,” Mark responded, then remembered Signe couldn’t see or hear him.

Ken answered, “Well definitely after, but Jack said he heard voices this morning, too.”

Signe ran her hand through Jack’s hair. She kissed his cheek and rested her head against him. “If we don't’ get some ice on him soon, he’s going to burn up.”

“I’ll be back with some ice packs.” Ken left the room for the kitchen.

“Do you think it’s a demon?” Felix asked.

“I don’t know.” Signe sighed. “If it is, I can easily exorcise it, but it won’t be pretty. And it could kill Jack in the process.”

“What?” Felix and Mark shouted at once.

“Look, I don’t want that to happen either, okay? Some demons kill their host when they leave the body. And with how close we all are to Jack, it’s the perfect way to get back at us.”

“Shit.” Felix ran a hand through his hair. “There’s gotta be something else we could do.”

“There’s something I can do,” Mark spoke.

“Mark, no,” Felix hissed. “You could make this worse.”

Signe looked around the room. “What did he say?”

“He wants to enter Jack’s body and personally kick out whatever is in there.”

“That might work.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“No, really,” Signe bit her lip. “Mark has a strong enough connection to Jack that he could probably help him.”

“See?” Mark said and stuck out his tongue.

Felix made a face at Mark, then turned back to Signe, “And if this doesn’t work?”

“Worst comes to worse, we lose them both,” Signe answered.

“See?” Felix mocked and turned back to Mark.

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take if it means helping Jack. He gave me back everything. The least I could do is give him back everything too,” Mark replied.

“Just, don’t jump the gun like-”

Mark stuck his hand into Jack’s chest. Jack’s whole body jolted. “Too late. I’m going in.”

“Mark, wait!” Felix yelled. Signe watched Jack’s body start to shiver all over. Then within seconds, he stilled.

“Is he gone. Did he do it?” Signe asked.

“Yes,” Felix hissed through his teeth as his fingernails pierced his palms. “I just hope he knows what he’s doing.”

The first thing Mark noticed was his breath. It swirled around the darkness and turned into snow before him. Mark shivered and rubbed his arms. The last time he possessed Jack, it was a lot warmer.

“Jack?” Mark called out. His voice echoed. Mark turned his head, but only darkness answered. Mark cupped his hands around his mouth. “Jack! Can you hear me?”

“Shhh.”

Mark’s head turned around. He couldn’t see anything.

“Jack?”

“Shh! Your Jack is sleeping right now.”

Mark balled his hands into fists. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you need to leave Jack the hell alone.”

“Oh, but I am Jack, Mark. I’ve been here all along.”

Mark felt something move behind him. He turned around, but only empty space surrounded him. Mark took a few cautionary steps backward.

“Bullshit.”

That thing laughed, sending shivers up Mark’s spine.

“Every Sensitive comes from some kind of supernatural creature. Jack’s family, well his mother’s side anyway, used to come from a mighty powerful fae line.”

“So you’re Tinkerbell?” Mark laughed.

The voice spoke in Mark’s ear. “You think that’s funny?”

Mark swung his hand. He met nothing but air. His back burned. Mark cried out and turned again, but nothing was there. Mark started to panic.

“I don’t know who you think you are,” the voice spoke, “but this body doesn’t belong to you. Leave.”

“I’m not leaving until you give Jack back.”

“Jack is mine!” A face appeared in front of Mark. Mark’s eyes met glowing green ones with green veins popping out on both sides. The spirit flashed pointed teeth and hissed.

Mark staggered backward. The creature materialized in front of him. It wore black gages in pointed ears, a dark red hoodie with ripped black jeans, and had black claws extending from its fingers.

It pointed a long, bony finger at Mark. “Jack has always been mine. I don’t appreciate you walking into this body like you own it. Like he invited you here. I’m the only one Jack needs here.”

“What are you?” Mark asked.

The creature chuckled. “Have you ever heard of a far darrig?” Mark furrowed his brow. “I’ll take that as a no. I’m sure you’ve heard of leprechauns.”

“Are you telling me Jack is literally descended from leprechauns?” Mark asked.

“No,” the spirit hissed. “I am much, much more powerful than them. And a lot more possessive of my toys.” It raised a finger and examined his claws. “But don’t worry. I think I may have found a use for you. One to make sure that no one ever tries to take Jack from me ever again.”

Mark backed up. He kept his eyes trained on the spirit. Mark tripped and fell onto his back. He looked around for what tripped him. Jack lay on the ground, his skin pale and eyes closed.

“Jack!” Mark cried out and cradled Jack in his arms.

“Get away from him!” The far darrig pounced on Mark. Mark fell backward. It dug its claws into Mark’s shoulder. Mark cried out as pain shot through his body. Its breath sent warm heat over his face.

Mark pushed his hands up to try and shove the creature off, but it held fast. Mark could feel his strength draining away. The creature began to glow red.

“The fuck… are you doing?” Mark growled through clenched teeth.

“Finding a use for you.” The creature smiled. “I’m draining your energy and giving it to myself, just like I did the first time you came here. Only, this time, I’m taking it all.”

Mark struggled to get the far darrig off his shoulders. He squirmed as much as he could, but it held fast, and his energy was leaving him quickly. Mark tried to kick, he tried to pull, he tried everything.

“Jack, please, wake up!”

“Jack can’t hear you.” It laughed again. “Jack won’t ever hear you again.”

Mark opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

“S a y G o o d b y e~”

Felix paced the floor. He kept looking over at Jack, at the clock, and back at Jack again. Ken rubbed his neck as he sat in his chair, and Signe stayed by Jack’s side, feeling his forehead every once and awhile to see if the fever went down any.

“Would you stop?” Ken grumbled as he watched Felix move. “You’re making me more nervous than I already am.”

“I can’t calm down,” Felix mumbled back. “Moving helps me think.”

“He’s going to be okay. They’re going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Neither do you.”

“Boys,” Signe hissed. “Would you stop? Any strong negative emotions might make this thing stronger.”

Felix sat on the edge of Jack’s bed. His one leg bounced up and down like a jackhammer. “I hate waiting. I wish this thing would just show itself so we could get rid of it.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Ken spoke.

Signe was about to speak when she saw Jack’s hand twitch. She looked down and held her breath.

“Jack, can you hear me?”

All eyes were on Jack. His head tossed to the side. Signe watched Jack’s eyes open, and she leaped off the bed. Her hand went to the Rosario in her pocket, and she held it up. Felix backed away from both Signe and Jack, and Ken jumped out of his seat.

Felix’s eyes darkened, and he bared his fangs. The far darrig’s green eyes flashed over to Felix, and it clicked its tongue.

“Relax. I’ll bring him back sooner or later.”

“What do you want?” Signe asked. “Who are you?”

“I’m Jack,” it spoke and chuckled. “Well, more like the anti-Jack.”

Signe’s face went from anger to realization. “You’re the supernatural creature that makes Jack a Sensitive, aren’t you?”

“Correct,” Anti said as it turned its attention to Signe.

“How did you get so strong?”

“I had some help.” He laughed. “Those investigators started it. Mark finished it.”

“What did you do to Mark,” Felix growled. “If you hurt him-”

“I only took what was mine,” Anti replied. “He had no business being inside of Jack. Jack is mine.”

“What are you?” Signe asked.

It rolled its eyes. “Do I have to explain this to everyone? I am a far darrig.”

Signe wrinkled her nose. “Well, why don’t you be like your cousin and go guard a pot of gold or something.”

“Wait, was Jack really serious when he said he was a leprechaun?” Felix mused.

“No, far darrigs are a little bit different,” Signe answered.

“I’ve never heard of those,” Ken muttered.

“We keep a low profile,” Anti said. “But when I’m done with you, you’ll never forget me.”

Signe turned her focus to Anti. “Na dean maggadh fum.”

Anti twitched and bore his teeth.

“What the fuck?” Felix turned to look at her.

“Na dean maggadh fum,” she repeated again, more forcefully than before.

“Easy,” it said as it held up its hands. “I’m not trying to trick you.”

“Then what are you doing?” Signe growled.

“Like I said, I’m protecting what’s mine. I favor Jack,” Anti spoke. “I wouldn’t bring harm to him on purpose.”

“You had no problem sending him down the stairs this morning,” Ken growled.

“Just a harmless trick,” Anti spoke and shrugged. “I do that to people I like. I also bring him luck, which is why he hasn’t been eaten by some Supernatural mongrel like you two yet.”

“I would never do such a thing!” Felix yelled. Ken held Felix’s shoulder before he could lunge at Anti.

Anti laughed. “But you did think of draining Jack the first time you met, didn’t you?”

Felix’s face turned to terror. Both Ken and Signe looked at Felix, who gritted his teeth.

No, there was no way it could know about that. “That’s not a fucking joke.”

“I wasn’t joking,” Anti said, his eyes challenging Felix. “He heard you that night talking to Marzia. I know you wanted to bite into Jack. You still do. I can feel it every time you touch him. His blood must smell so sweet with me inside of him. It would make you stronger than you could ever imagine. Must be hard fighting what you are to keep your best friend safe.”

“Shut up.”

“Why? Did I strike a nerve?” Anti said and grinned.

“Don’t,” Ken warned and held Felix back.

“Or what?” Anti laughed. “He can’t hurt me. I wouldn’t let him anyway.”

“Felix,” Signe spoke. “You have to say what I said. You have to fend him off. Don’t let him get inside your head.”

Ken looked over at Signe and knit his eyebrows together. What did she say?

“Na dean.. maggada fuma,” Ken spoke.

Anti drew his head back and laughed. “That was the most pathetic attempt I’ve ever heard.”

“Na dean maggadh fum!” Signe yelled. Anti hissed and backed up.

“Felix,” Ken growled in his ear.

Felix stared straight into Anti’s eyes. “You’re going to give Jack his control back.”

“And when I do, he’ll remember everything I said. He’ll remember everything I told him about you. He’s going to be afraid of you,” Anti taunted.

“I’d rather him be afraid of me than taken over by you for the rest of his life.”

“Oh-”

“Na dean maggadh fum,” Felix growled.

Anti grit his teeth. His eyes flickered from green to blue.

Felix repeated the phrase. Anti shrieked and gripped the side of his head. His fingers dug into his skin and he panted heavily. Again, and again, Felix chanted the phrase, until he practically yelled it.

Anti screamed. His whole body convulsed and collapsed onto the bed. Jack’s eyes stared up at the ceiling before they closed, shutting the room into silence.

Jack’s eyes opened in the black void of his mind. He sat up and looked around. The darkness wasn’t warm nor was it cold. He stood up and looked around.

“Hello?” he called out.

A grunt sounded off to his side. Jack looked over to see a mirror image of himself panting on the floor. Well, almost himself.

“The fuck-” Jack jumped back.

“Relax, Jack,” it spoke. “I’m not here to hurt you.” It stood up and stared into Jack’s blue eyes.

“Then who are you?”

“I am you. I am what makes you a Sensitive. Your great-great-grandparents were far darrigs long ago until your great-grandmother married a human. You can call me Anti. That seems to be a name that sticks every time I meet someone.”

Jack let the information sink in. “You’re who I’ve been hearing. You’re the voice in my head, the thing that keeps laughing.” His hands balled into fists. “You’re what’s been hurting my friends.”

“I was only playing a joke.”

“You’re not funny.”

Anti laughed and shook his head. “Whether you find me funny or not is not my concern. I’m protecting you. I’m protecting what’s mine.” Jack opened his mouth to speak, but Anti cut him off. “Did you ever wonder why you were never killed by a supernatural creature, even though you’re a Sensitive? You have to know by now, Supernatural things are drawn to your light. A lot have tried to kill you in the past, but I’ve stopped them.”

“Why?”

“If you die, I die, simple as that.” Anti cracked its knuckles. “You’re going to be seeing a lot more of me now that I have enough energy to put myself in control, but only when you get your stupid ass in more trouble. You need to stop doing that.”

“And what if I don’t want you to.”

“You don’t have much of a choice.” Anti flashed a toothy grin. “Just like I didn’t give your little ghost friend a choice.”

Jack’s heart sank. “What did you do to Mark?”

“I merely absorbed his spirit energy. He won’t bother you anymore.”

“You son of a bitch!” Jack cried. “Let him go!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Jackaroonie.” Anti chuckled.

“I said, let him go,” Jack said again. Anti’s eyes connected with Jack’s.

“You don’t control me.”

“But you are me. This is my body, and this is my mind. I make the rules here.” Jack started walking toward Anti. Anti held his ground for a moment but soon started to retreat. “You give him back, now.”

“And if I don’t?”

Jack heard Signe’s voice outside his body. He heard every word Anti said to his friends. He narrowed his eyes. “Na dean maggadh fum.”

Anti cried out as a hole appeared on his shoulder.

“Jack, no. If you banish me, you’ll lose your power-”

“Na dean maggadh fum.”

Anti cradled the hole in his stomach. He doubled over onto the ground.

“S-stop! I-I’ll give him back. I promise.”

“Now.”

Anti’s eyes glowed harsher than Jack ever saw. His jaws opened as he hissed. Jack opened his mouth to recite the spell again. Anti started glowing white. A body materialized to his right, and within moments, Mark was lying on the ground.

“There, are you satisfied now?” Anti said as he panted on the ground.

Jack ran to Mark’s side. Mark blinked and looked around.

“Jack, what happened?”

“It’s a long story,” Jack said with a smile on his face. He turned his head to Anti. “You do that again, and I will get rid of you.”

Anti growled and disappeared into the shadows.

“You haven't gotten rid of me yet, Jack. I am still here. I harnessed enough energy that I can take over you whenever I feel like it.”

Jack wanted to answer, but he chose to ignore the warning. He helped Mark to his feet.

“How are you feeling?”

“Weak, but I think I’ll be okay,” Mark answered. “Are you okay?”

Jack sighed. “I think so. What were you thinking, coming in here after me? He could’ve killed you.”

“But he didn’t.”

Jack groaned. “You’re so fucking reckless.”

“And you’re a worry wart.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

Jack glared at Mark before he sighed. “Okay, it’s time for you to get out so I can take over my body again. I’m tired of being possessed by everyone.”

“Do the honors,” Mark said as he braced himself for a shove.

Jack pushed Mark hard, and he flickered out like a candle flame. Jack’s body warmed, and he closed his eyes.

The first thing Jack saw when he opened his eyes was Signe. She smiled before kissing him on the cheek. “Welcome back, Jack.”

Mark was at her side, a warm smile on his face.

A hand punched Jack’s shoulder. Jack cried out, grabbed the spot, and rubbed it.

“That’s for letting a fucking leprechaun take over you,” Felix growled.

“Like I wanted it to!” Jack shot back. Felix opened his mouth to speak but chose to take a step back instead.

“It’s good to have you back again,” Ken spoke.

“Good to be back,” Jack answered.

Signe looked at Jack, a worried look in her eyes. “You feel any different?”

Jack searched his mind for any trace of Anti. His world was eerily quiet. Jack should’ve felt relieved. He knew he won the battle for his mind, but he knew the war was far from over. Hopefully, he had a trump card to keep Anti out of control.

“Nope, I’m still Jack,” he answered, “but a little less human than I thought.”

“You’re still human,” Signe said. “That thing doesn’t define you.”

“But it is a part of me. It’s what’s kept me alive. I owe my life to it.” Jack spoke. He looked in the mirror on the other side of the room. His reflection was still him, but he could feel Anti’s presence looking back at him. “And I’m okay with that. I have a feeling Anti is going to come in handy later.”

**Author's Note:**

> So now we know what makes Jack a sensitive, and he might be different for the rest of the story. He's going to meet someone just like him in the next chapter, but this person doesn't have a far darrig bringing him luck.
> 
> Want sneak peeks and to stalk my work more? Follow me on Tumblr at [purrtlepuff](purrtlepuff.tumblr.com) or just stalk me silently. No peer pressure from me.
> 
> Until next time!


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